The Thing Everyone Wants to DoWhenever anyone comes to visit me in Saranac Lake there is always one thing on their to-do list: feed the Gray Jays along the Bloomingdale Bog Trail. They are a sought-after boreal species which draw many birders to our area, but more than that they are simply fun to observe. So whether it is my birding brothers looking for species they can’t find at home or my niece... [Read More]

In winter, our friendly forests grow hushed with snow, and our lovely lakes freeze over. We are dedicated to having fun all year 'round, and that includes a few creative options.When people think of our Winter Carnival, they think of our snowy landscape. But there's more to Carnival than that. In Saranac Lake, "ice" is far more than something to throw in our drinks. We have fun with it!ice... [Read More]

There's never a dull moment in Saranac Lake The hardest thing about attending First Night Saranac Lake is knowing where to start. At its core, the event is more than a family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration. It's more like a smorgasbord of all things Saranac Lake. That means there's so much art, music, dancing and revelry crammed into the little mountain village it's impossible to see it all... [Read More]

In a place with abundant Adirondack wilderness and gorgeous vistas at every turn, it's difficult to qualify different levels of view. We have a long shoreline with Lake Flower, across the street from the Town Hall, and it takes minutes to walk to this view: [img:slk5lkflowerfineday.jpg] With incredible views everywhere a person turns, can I really choose the top five views in Saranac Lake? Well... [Read More]

Do you know where the Hays Brook trails are? They are a couple miles north of the Paul Smiths Visitors Interpretive Center (everyone calls it “The VIC”) to the right off Rte. 30. Look for a brown and yellow sign, drive in two-tenths of a mile and park. The trails are up the small road you can see heading off the parking lot.It’s a wonderful place. The trails are designated horse trails - I’ve... [Read More]

 The Trot comes to Saranac LakeI am, by no means, a runner. So the first time my co-worker Frank asked if I wanted to do a turkey trot, I was a little skeptical. What could possibly be appealing about getting out of bed on one of those rare days I get the chance to sleep in? (I should probably mention that during the work week, my shift doesn't start until 11 am, so I actually get to sleep... [Read More]

Saranac Lake is not the usual shopping. It's a real Adirondack browsing paradise. Instead of big, bustling, and impersonal, we are small, quiet, and very friendly. We offer some items which can be found nowhere else, because they are handcrafted by our own Adirondack artists and artisans.Many of our shopping opportunities are found in our scenic, walkable, historic downtown. Bounded on the north... [Read More]

Tubing in Saranac Lake is fun and friendly. Pretty much, if a person can sit down, they can go tubing - Adirondack style! The complex at Mount Pisgah Veteran's Memorial Ski Center (we just call it Pisgah for obvious reasons) is a great place for winter fun, and their tubing hill is a popular attraction.If I'm going out with a group of my friends, tubing is tops on our list of fun activities... [Read More]

Relaxing Retreat Saranac Lake is a retreat for the creative mind. As many people travel to Saranac Lake they often have the question, “what’s there to do?” In all reality the question should be, “what’s there not to do?” This question of course would finally have us at a loss for words. This is because Saranac Lake has such a wide variety of activities for all ages, and interests. For the... [Read More]

Birds on the MoveAt this time of year I pay special attention to the birds migrating through the various lakes of our region, and each day finds Wren and me out somewhere to see what’s on the move. My favorite place to check in the fall is the railroad tracks along Lake Colby in Saranac Lake where the waterfowl migration is just beginning to pick up. While the past several weeks have been good... [Read More]

A wonderful family filled day of fun can be found right in the heart of Brighton. A town located just outside the Village of Saranac Lake and spreading through the Hamlet of Paul Smith’s. Brighton offers a tremendous amount of history, feasts, and fun. HistoryBrighton is overflowing with history starting in 1815 when the first settlers appeared to this small town. There were railways created... [Read More]

Hanging onto SummerWith our current change in weather on the way, Wren and I set out to enjoy one of the last warm days of the fall. I wanted to paddle, so we went to Little Green Pond where we parked and immediately set out for a hike. Wren does not particularly like being confined to the canoe so I wanted to let her run around and play for a while before we paddled. We hiked along Little Clear... [Read More]

Please note: This blog was originally posted in 2015 and this ride is no longer available, however we can happily direct you to cool paddling, awesome biking, and scenic hiking in the region! Check out our outdoor activities to learn more!If you like to ride a bike, are up for trying something new, and enjoy a morning or afternoon communing with nature, then Railbikes might just be for you!... [Read More]

Things I never suspected I would learn planning an Adirondack wedding  So there may not be any factual data to support my daddy longleg burlap attraction hypothesis. All I know for sure is that on the morning of my wedding, amid a whirlwind of madness, I paused to adjust the cake table and was greeted by a horde of daddy longlegs. My bridesmaid Lisa dutifully helped me gently remove a few,... [Read More]

The summer is winding down, and we need to be sure to pack in as much fair-weather fun as we can! The next couple of weeks are full of enjoyable and exciting events, guaranteed to get you moving, eating and dancing to the music!  6th Annual Farm2Fork Festival - Saturday, September 5 [img:13765818301.png] “Love your Farmer, Love Your Food” is the tag line for the annual Farm2Fork Festival... [Read More]

The Best Way to Cool OffOur warm weather of late has found me chatting with friends and family further south who are complaining of the hot and muggy conditions where they live. To be sure it has been warm here and very hot elsewhere – but Wren and I have a solution that eludes many others thanks to where we live. After all, the region is dotted with seemingly countless numbers of lakes and we... [Read More]

One of the fun, and free, options in Saranac Lake is the monthly lecture series held by Saranac Village at Will Rogers. They open their cozy Great Room for talks on all kinds of subjects. So when they announced the lecture for August was to be "Goat Packing, our passport to the back country," I could not resist. As it turned out, this lecture and slideshow told the story of how challenges... [Read More]

Text by Guest Blogger: Hannah BabcockPhotos provided by ROOSTer Kim Andresen, also an avid fan of this secret beach AND ice cream. Many thanks to our fun-loving & photogenic friends Clayton & Abby Johnson and family.What to do... what to do?If you find yourself sitting outside on a beautiful day in Lake Placid and trying to think of something to do to take full advantage of... [Read More]

A Morning Start on a Hot DayWith another hot day coming, Wren and I headed out for a morning paddle on Jones Pond before the sun began to bake the landscape. The day was cool, but rapidly warming as I prepared for our outing, listening to a singing Blue-headed Vireo and White-throated Sparrow. As I fiddled with my gear, I chatted with a couple from Georgia who were camping in one of the campsites... [Read More]

Did you know Saranac Lake has the largest collection of Robert Louis Stevenson memorabilia in the world? Our village in the Adirondacks has a pivotal place in the saga of this famous author's life. Then Stevenson Cottage, where he restored his health, became the home of his legacy.He was one of the most successful writers of the 19th century. Stories like "Treasure Island," "Kidnapped," and "The... [Read More]

Showing the Cousins the RopesMy niece Rebecca had hiked Baker Mountain in Saranac Lake with me last summer when she came up to visit for the first time, and so this year she was excited to show Baker and its view off to her cousins Tyler and Emily who joined her to visit me this year. It had been a warm, summer day when we set off late in the afternoon up the trail. The trailhead appeared busy at... [Read More]

Please note: This blog was originally posted in 2015 and this ride is no longer available, however we can happily direct you to cool paddling, awesome biking, and scenic hiking in the region! Check out our outdoor activities to learn more!   Living in Saranac Lake, I've paddled the ponds and hiked the trails and climbed the mountains. Now, we have a new way to experience the Adirondack... [Read More]

Saranac Lake has wonderful lodging and wellness venues. This year was the first time they were combined in a delightful weekend event. Which created a vortex of healing Adirondack vibrations!The Holistic Health Retreat & Conference was held on the weekend of May 16th & 17th, but I arrived Friday night to relax and enjoy the fine dining at the hosting property, the Lake Clear Lodge... [Read More]

Saranac Lake has a wonderful range of Adirondack campgrounds to choose from. Whether it's a full service RV hook-up or a tent in the wildest of the wilderness, we have a full range of very cool spots. Camping is a great way to really feel the wild places around us. Maybe it's that first cup of "cowboy coffee" as we listen to the loon cry over the lake. Maybe it's sitting around the campfire... [Read More]